NEW RELEASE
The Year of Taking Chances - Lucy Diamond (2015)
Gemma, Caitlin and Saffron meet at Gemma's New Year's Eve house party. As they contemplate what they would like from the new year, none of them can predict just how momentous it will be for each of them or indeed the friendship that will develop between them. Gemma's about to learn the real meaning of the vows "in sickness and in health" when her husband Spencer has an accident at work. For Caitlin, the new year means trying to come to terms with the death of her beloved mother and learning some uncomfortable truths. Meanwhile, Saffron has to face a completely unexpected challenge. It was nice to kick off the year with a book so rooted in the idea of the new year. It felt hugely pertinent and just right. I enjoyed following these three women both individually and as a collective and Diamond really plots the story well with mini cliff-hangers in her chapters that involve you in each character's story and keep the momentum going. It was also pleasing that it wasn't just three love stories and that each of the characters have different struggles. A great way to ease into a new year. (JC)
The Year of Taking Chances, by Lucy Diamond, is about brand-new starts. The summary says: "Because love is always worth the risk... It's New Year's Eve, and Gemma and Spencer Bailey are throwing a house party. There's music, dancing, champagne and all their best friends under one roof. It's going to be a night to remember. Also at the party is Caitlin, who has returned to the village to pack up her much-missed mum's house and to figure out what to do with her life; and Saffron, a PR executive who's keeping a secret which no amount of spin can change. The three women bond over Gemma's dodgy cocktails and fortune cookies, and vow to make this year their best one yet. But as the months unfold, Gemma, Saffron and Caitlin find themselves tested to their limits by shocking new developments. Family, love, work, home - all the things they've taken for granted are thrown into disarray. Under pressure, they are each forced to rethink their lives and start over. But dare they take a chance on something new?" The Year of Taking Chances is released on New Year's Day 2015.